A High School Education
by pretty in orange
Summary: An AU high school story. RelenaXHeero, MilliardoXNoin, DuoXHilde, WufeiXSally, QuatreXDorothy and non-related CatherineXTrowa. Some TreizeXUne. T for language. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is practice for my original story. I've always wanted to do what I call a 'full cast' meaning you use a lot of characters using third person inner limited and switching between them. I would love if at the end of this chapter you could drop me a review and tell me how I'm doing so far, that would mean a lot to me, honestly. Some character ages were changed and Catherine and Trowa aren't related in this. Also, this is AU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, or any of its characters. I make absolutely no profit from this.

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><p>"<em>Shut up<em>, Relena." Dorothy rolled her eyes at her all-violence-is-horrible friend. "Everyone wanted to see Wufei and Heero fight."

"Fighting should only be used in situations where it is completely necessary." Relena couldn't help but want to whack her best friend over the head with her binder. "And we're going to be late for class, _again, _if you don't hurry up."

Dorothy shrugged, but shot a glance at Ms. Noin who was eyeing them from the end of the hall, despite keeping up a conversation with Mr. Peacecraft. "Are they ever in different places?" Dorothy lowered her voice so the teachers wouldn't hear her. "I mean seriously, there's so much sexual tension between them that-" Dorothy finally took in her friend's wide eyes and sighed. "Hello Ms. Noin."

"Hey, kiddo." Ms. Noin patted both girls affectionately on top of the head. "You wouldn't want to be late now, would you? Better hurry up before I have to write you up."

"Right!" Relena flashed the teacher a quick smile and then proceeded to drag her blonde friend from the hall and into their class.

"Even the students see it, Milliardo." Noin murmured to Mr. Peacecraft who had snuck up behind her. "So why can't you?"

"It's just not professional, that's all." Milliardo ran his hand down Noin's arm. "We better get to class before the students turn on _us_ for being late."

"Right. See you in the teacher's lounge then." Noin turned for her class, trying to keep her behavior "professional".

It was just so damn hard.

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><p>"Hello Dorothy." Quatre offered the girl a smile as she took her place beside him during their free period. "How are you today?"<p>

Dorothy bit the inside of her cheek. Ever since she had come blubbering to Quatre nearly a month and a half ago, he had become her friend, but still she was unable to come up with responses appropriate for him. It was nearly a month and a half ago, she realized. Had it really been that long?

_It was just a matter of time until Dorothy's self confidence shattered, until the shell she showed the world dissipated._

_Today was just one of the days where she wondered how much longer she could keep it up, or if she could at all._

_Dorothy swiped at the tears that slid down her cheeks, unable to control them. Her father was in the hospital, no doubt dying. That car crash nearly a month ago had come close to claiming his life, and he had been comatose for as long without showing any signs that he wasn't brain dead. _

_If he didn't show any signs in the next week, her mother was going to have the plug pulled on the life support._

_Dorothy didn't know what she wanted, maybe pity, maybe support. She didn't want to talk to Relena about it; Relena never knew what to say in these situations. _

_She started towards the art room, knowing who would be there, but not knowing why she wanted so badly to see him. Swiping at the watery tracks on her face, she opened the door and was met with a pair of blue eyes._

_"Quatre."_

Quatre had pieced her back together that day, made everything just a little better. Bearable, really. But Dorothy still needed him; he was the glue to hold her together.

And even when she had no clue what to say to him, he didn't seem to mind.

Dorothy leaned on Quatre just a bit. She saw the blush, sunset light pink, appear on his cheeks, but also a smile on his lips.

"I'm here, don't worry." Quatre slipped his arm around Dorothy's shoulders. "Just don't worry."

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><p>"So, Heero, will you walk me home?" Relena was cursing the fact that she had a different free period than Dorothy, but she felt just a little blessed that she had some time with Heero, her crush.<p>

Despite Heero's cold demeanor and the fact that he acted like her mere presence killed him inside, Heero had taken up the role of being extremely protective of her. When Wufei had started to pick on Relena for supposedly being weak, Heero had knocked him around quite a bit. Not that Relena condoned violence of that sort, but it was nice to feel as if someone protected her. Her parents were too preoccupied with work to pay much attention to her grades, let alone her.

Relena was going to win this little battle, she was sure.

"No." Heero kept walking, even sped up a little bit. But Relena wasn't out of shape, and she could keep up with him without even losing her breath.

"Why did you punch Wufei?" Relena waited a good 3 minutes for a response before she grabbed Heero and spun him towards her. "Heero, why won't you answer me?"

Heero froze, probably in shock, Relena figured. Of all the hand-grabs and looping her arm through his, she had never done this. He blinked for a second or two, and then said, "I'm busy." With that, he ripped himself from her grip and stumbled down the hallway.

_Well_, Relena thought, _that was a better answer than a lot of things he could've_

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><p>"Sally, go back to class." Wufei growled. He had a black eye from his fight with Heero, in addition to a bloody nose, and his classmate, Sally Po was babying him for all he was worth.<p>

"I've got all my work done for that class anyway, I can skip." Sally pressed the acupressure point just between Wufei's lip and nose to stop the bleeding. "You never get into fights without a good reason, so what was it? What terrible injustice were you correcting by fighting Heero Yuy?"

"I didn't fight him." Wufei tried to shove Sally away, annoyed. "If you look at him you'll realize that he is not injured, and that he hit me. I don't fight the weak."

"So why did he hit you then?" Sally stared Wufei down, though she would have to check Heero later to make sure Wufei's story was real, her friend Wufei was usually believable.

"I called his girlfriend weak." Wufei shrugged and moved away as Sally gently prodded around his bruised eye and then put the ice back on it. "I didn't hit Heero Yuy."

"If you say so." Sally gave up asking him about the fight and reverted to small talk. After all, pressing Wufei for information would get her absolutely nowhere but on his bad side, she knew that well. "You've really got a shiner."

"Go to class, Sally." Wufei's anger was rising, and Sally knew how much he hated repeating himself, but she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

"Wufei?" She tipped her head to the side and smiled at him. Of all the things Sally Po was, she was not afraid of Wufei. "Suck it up."

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><p>"Duo Maxwell, stop staring at me!" Hilde shoved at her friendenemy. In Hilde's point of view, her relation to Duo usually depended on what day it was. In most situations, Duo was irritating, but if Duo was needed, he was the best friend she could possibly have. That quality alone made him boyfriend material in her eyes. "You're annoying as hell."

"Call me what you want, you're still cute." Duo grinned at her, shouldering his bag and returning to her side.

"Oh my God, it's like talking to a child sometimes." Hilde threw up her hands and shook her head. "You're so immature!"

"In calling me immature, you're immature." Duo smirked at her, kissed her on the cheek and ran for it.

Hilde took a deep breath in to quell her anger, but she couldn't control the blush rising in her cheeks. "Damn you Duo..." She muttered to herself more than anyone else. "Damn you for stealing my heart."

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><p>"I don't get this." Catherine Bloom leaned her head on her tutor, Trowa Barton. "Trust me, this is a lose-lose situation." She smiled at him, her heart thudding wildly in her chest. "Math just doesn't work for me unless I can see it in action. You know, like at the circus, how the trapeze artist has to make it from point A to point B at exactly what speed or else they'll fall? Like that."<p>

Trowa's lips turned up in the barest bones of a smile. He had been enamored with this girl, Catherine, ever since she asked him to tutor her. She was bubbly and happy, not like so many girls in the school. However he was sure that she was just being nice to him so she wouldn't fail math class.

"Trowa?" Catherine looked up at him, confused when he gave no reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Trowa closed her math book. "But we will figure out a way to make this work for you. I'll be back tomorrow." Without another word, he was out the door.

Catherine blinked, looked down at her closed math book, and then smiled as she watched Trowa walk down the driveway.

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><p>AN: This is my first attempt at a full cast, so please, will you tell me how I'm doing? I know a few parts were short, but I am trying my best. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm actually trying to see how many of my stories I can add to tonight; since my fiction projects are all... lets say nose-diving, today. But for now I'm still lucid, and everything should be ok

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I make no profit from this.

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><p>"You're grading tests at 5 AM, Milliardo?" Noin rolled her eyes. She had been downing coffee since she got to the school to merely stay awake, and here he was, grading tests at this ungodly hour.<p>

"Shh, Noin, I'm working." Milliardo didn't look at her.

"When did you get here anyway?" Noin glanced at the clock; yup it really was five in the morning.

"3. Treize gave me a key." The blonde teacher shook his pen for a second and then grabbed the next one from the right side of his desk. "Why did you come this early?"

"Because Treize told me to get my ass over here and make sure you didn't pass out at your desk. The students would never leave you alone if they found you like that." Noin smiled a bit to herself. "How can you get up so early? You're insane." In truth she felt insane too, she had had to check that she wasn't in her bathrobe at least ten times since she got to work.

"Typical that he would send you." Milliardo couldn't hide the little smile that took over his lips. He couldn't have asked for a better person to talk to while he graded tests.

"Shut up." Noin smiled. "You really think we shouldn't be together because we're coworkers?"

"I think it's not the best of ideas but it's not impossible." Milliardo shook the pen he was using. "Can you get this pen to work?"

"Sure." Noin took the pen and wrote a letter on her boyfriend's forehead.

"You wrote an A on my forehead didn't you?" The male teacher chuckled slightly. "What do I get an A at?"

"A for effort. Duh." Noin leaned over the desk to kiss him quickly. "An A for effort if nothing else."

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><p>Dorothy awoke to classical music coming through her phone.<p>

"Morning Dorothy." Quatre's voice came in clear through Dorothy's cell phone, which was still plastered to her ear from last night.

"Damn it!" Dorothy cast a glance toward her mother's room, though her Mother would be at work by now. "I fell asleep on the phone with you again?"

"It was late." Quatre soothed, and she could hear his radio in the background. "You fell asleep around 1:30, so I don't blame you."

"Damn it, I'm going to be late!" Dorothy could practically hear Quatre flinching at her abuse of the English language. "Sorry."

"I can go if you need to hurry up." Quatre fumbled around, maybe he was going to be late too, Dorothy thought.

"Not yet." Dorothy put her cell on speaker and slid her nightgown off. "You haven't told anyone about what happened a month and a half ago, right, when we first started being nice to each other, because of my Dad..." She ran out of words to finish her sentence, not only did it still hurt to talk about her late Father, she couldn't find her favorite pair of jeans.

"If anyone asked I probably just said you were having a bad day, nothing more." Quatre's voice had become small and childlike. Somehow, that reminded Dorothy of a kicked puppy, whimpering.

"Alright." Dorothy heard a knock on the door. "I'm coming!"

"What?" Quatre asked, clearly confused by that response.

"I have to go, Quatre, Relena's here." Dorothy slammed her cell shut and tugged her shirt on, then ran to the door and whipped it open.

"Have you been fooling around with someone?" Relena eyed her best friend with a surprised expression.

"Yes, Relena, I'm a whore on weeknights." Dorothy rolled her eyes, sarcasm dripping off her tone. "No, why the hell would you think that?"

"Your shirt is not only inside out, but backwards." Relena smirked at her. "I'm hoping it's not a fashion statement."

The bleach blonde with the prominent eyebrows tugged her best friend inside the house, slammed the door and went to fix her shirt.

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><p>"You're early." Heero commented as Relena curled against a wall in a back hallway, Heero's usual haunt.<p>

"You acknowledged me, do you want a cookie or something?" Relena told herself mentally not to take out her frustrations on other people, but she was snapping at her crush anyway.

Heero's eyebrows went up. In all the time Relena had been after him, she had been cheery or not there at all. "Did something happen?" He asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Yes. My best friend is keeping a huge secret from me." Relena didn't lean on Heero; she didn't want to scare him away. "I'm her best friend, right, she shouldn't want to keep secrets from me. But she is, and it's a big one. Something is definitely going on with her..."

Heero blinked, and then studied Relena. Here this incredibly strong woman was, curled in a ball in a back hallway, close to tears over a secret. He didn't understand, where was the Relena he had known for so long?

"Relena." He tipped her chin up and wiped her tears away. "Talk about it."

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><p>"Why can't I drive?" Wufei muttered as Sally pulled the car into the school parking lot.<p>

"Because, you have a history of having a bit of a temper and your parents don't trust you with a car." Sally handed him his backpack out of the backseat and then leaned around to grab her own. "Road rage is not a good thing."

"I have some control." Wufei noticed how Sally couldn't quite reach her own bag, and leaned in to grab it for her.

They both froze as they came nose-to-nose, unable for either of them to pull away. Sally couldn't think, much less move. Wufei's dark eyes were intriguing, and the faint blush just under his black eye... well, that was just too cute.

"I think we should go inside now." Sally murmured, forever the voice of reason.

"And if I say no?" Wufei leaned in closer and Sally wondered if he was merely acting on hormones and adrenaline or if he had always had feelings for her.

"Right, well, I'm going inside." Sally carefully hopped out of the car in one quick motion, her heart hopping in her chest. "I'll see you in class, Wufei. Don't let Heero beat the crap out of you again."

She opened the backseat left side door, grabbed her bag and ran for the school.

Wufei sighed, shook his head, and headed for the school doors himself.

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><p>"I'm not going to let you two sit together anymore if you can't behave." Ms. Noin shook her head and bopped Duo and Hilde over the head once each with her lesson plan. "Now, if everyone will just read chapter 3 for homework, we're cool. Duo and Hilde, please work out your issues outside of class. Please. Class dismissed."<p>

Hilde threw her books in her oversized purse and followed Duo out. "What the hell were you doing in there?" She hissed, trying to keep the conversation below the radar of the student body. "Don't tickle me in class, you asshole!"

"You looked down, I just wanted you to smile." Duo implemented the puppy dog pout, the very one that made Hilde turn redder than a tomato.

"Don't do that." Hilde looked away, feeling the heat rising through her face. "One of these days I swear, I might have to kill you."

"You wouldn't do that." Duo smirked at her. "Cleanup is too messy."

"Sometimes I think I _should_ kill you." Hilde added offhandedly. "Just for kicks."

"Children." Milliardo Peacecraft stood over them, sighing and shaking his head. "You two are always in some spat. You're friends, can't you ever get along?"

"We're trying." Hilde protested. "Sometimes our personalities just clash, Mr. Peacecraft."

"You're each others yin-yang." Milliardo smiled, half off in his own little world. "You need each other to balance each other out, but sometimes you overpower each other to the point of making either of you mad. Trust me, it will work out. You'll always be friends."

Hilde and Duo smiled and nodded, but as soon as they got far enough away, the question was clear.

Hilde asked it first. "What the hell is he on?"

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><p>"Oh Trowa, I'm sorry I'm a bad student." Catherine ducked her head as they sat together after school, Trowa trying desperately to help the girl with her math. "Math is just not my forte. You're sure you want to continue trying to tutor me?"<p>

Trowa nodded, then took out a medium sized dry-erase board and wrote the problem at the top. "What we're going to try this time is if we take the problem and put it with something familiar." He proceeded to draw a trapeze artist and their props.

"Trowa?" Catherine made a small noise, just barely said his name. When he looked up at her from the dry erase board, she added, "Your stick figure doesn't have a head."

Trowa blinked in surprise, and then looked down at his dry erase picture. Sure enough, he had forgotten to give it a head. He quickly added the head onto it, then looked at Catherine and smiled.

"We should get back to math, shouldn't we?" Catherine clearly felt uncomfortable in this situation, though she had a crush on her tutor.

Sometimes, the atmosphere just isn't right for confessions.

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><p>AN: My Internet went wonky at least three times while I typed this, so I don't know if I'll be answering reviews tonight. I'll try my best though. Anyway, did you like it? Hate it? Were you horrified? Did you see a typo? I would love to hear from you, and thank you for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Here we are at the third chapter and I want to thank everyone who put this story on alerts, you keep me writing. The first part with Milliardo and Noin has actually been milling around in my mind for a while, I just haven't had anywhere that it would fit in.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I make no profit from this.

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><p>The phone on Milliardo's nightstand rang, a shill cry. It was nearly midnight, and he could only think of one person who would even think about calling him this late. "Noin?" Milliardo clutched the phone against his head, terrified of why she would call him at this hour. Not that he would admit that.<p>

"God, I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you but..." Noin made a noise that was probably supposed to sound like a cough, but Milliardo could tell it was sob.

"Noin, what happened?" Milliardo could feel the tension in his chest, Noin never cried. She was tough as nails, never let anyone see her sweat, and he hadn't seen her cry in their many years.

"My brother... he got into some trouble..." Another sob disguised as a cough and Milliardo flinched at the sound of it. "Sorry." Noin cleared her throat and continued slowly. "He shot someone and when the police caught him, he wouldn't put his gun down and get on the ground... they shot him and he... died."

"I'm so sorry." Milliardo murmured, trying to soothe her. He didn't want to pressure her into letting him come over, if she wanted to be near him she would tell him that.

"Can I come over?" Noin finally let out an unhindered sob and Milliardo swore he could feel his heart breaking.

"I'll come over there, I don't want you driving in your current state." Milliardo pulled some clothes on as quickly as he could, never letting the phone out of his hands.

"You're a godsend, Milliardo." Noin mumbled 15 minutes later as she heard him come in with his key.

"I'm sorry." Milliardo whispered. "About your brother."

"He wasn't... the best person in the world... but he was still my brother." Noin wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. "It still hurts, whether he was a mass murderer or the world's greatest saint."

"I know." Milliardo held her close even as the light of the morning seeped into the darkness of the room. Noin cried herself to sleep in his arms, but he didn't want to wake her. Principle Treize would understand a mental health day.

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><p>"Thank you for giving me a ride." Dorothy muttered as she climbed into the passenger side of Quatre's land rover. She set her bag by her feet and closed the door gently, but she didn't meet Quatre's eyes.<p>

"Do you want to talk about it?" Quatre asked as he edged the car out of the driveway.

"About what?" Dorothy didn't feel like herself today, not even the real her that she only showed to Quatre. She felt meek and exhausted and unworthy. All in all, she didn't like today at all.

"Whatever is bothering you." Quatre gave her a glance of a smile at a stoplight. "It's not good to keep everything inside."

"Relena just thinks I'm hiding something huge from her, that's all." Dorothy shrugged and ran her hands through her hair, because in reality it was a huge deal. Relena was her best friend, had been since kindergarten. "That's why she won't give me a ride is because she's pissed off at me." Dorothy withheld her apology for her bad language. "It's not a big deal."

"But you are hiding something from her, correct?" Quatre avoided her surprised look, and then added, "You haven't told her that we're friends."

"It doesn't affect her." The blonde girl shrugged. "Besides, that's not what she thinks I'm hiding."

"What is it that she thinks you're hiding?" Quatre eased the car onto the school's road.

"That... she thinks I was fooling around with someone and won't tell her who, can we not get into this now?" Dorothy refused eye contact again and as soon as the car was in park she grabbed her bag and ran for the school. She couldn't deal with this, not right then. "Thanks for the ride!" She called over her shoulder, but it was half hearted.

Quatre blinked for a minute, surprised at this side of Dorothy that not even he had seen. After a few minutes, he followed her into the school, though he still hadn't figured out why Relena would've thought that.

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><p>"Are you feeling better today, Relena?" Heero asked, though he seemed socially awkward doing it, as if he had never said anything like it before.<p>

"A little." Relena mustered up a smile for him and sat down beside him, peering at his laptop that sat open off to the side. "Processing? What is it processing?"

"Nothing important." Heero lowered the screen so that Relena couldn't see it. "Did you work things out with your friend?"

Relena resisted sighing, Heero hadn't even bothered to remember Dorothy's name. "No. And I refused to give her a ride to school today."

Heero blinked and surprise and looked at her. Relena sure was changing, she had started out such a peacemaker and here she was, going against her friends for a mere secret.

"I shouldn't be bothering you." Relena drew her knees up to her chest. "I'm sorry, Heero. I'm probably just a pain in the neck for you."

"You're company." Heero shrugged noncommittally and leaned over to type something into his laptop.

"Thanks." Relena was finally beginning to decode some of Heero's more cryptic actions and words. "You're not as big of an ass as you come off as initially."

Heero looked at her again. Usually Relena was so ladylike, and swearwords were not in her vocabulary. Something must've still been upsetting her, he decided.

"So what exactly are you doing?" Relena didn't try to look at his laptop again, if he didn't want her to see, she wouldn't look.

"Hacking the school security system to see if there's such a thing as a permanent record." Heero said after a moment of silent debate.

"Ah." Relena nodded, she wasn't going to reprimand him for it, and after all, she was curious too...

* * *

><p>"You've been avoiding me, Sally." Wufei eyed his best friend with annoyance. "I think we both know why."<p>

"My Mom was pissed off last night." Sally didn't want to resort to having to tell him this, but she didn't want him to think that she was avoiding him because of that almost kiss, although she kind of was. "Guess who she just found out Dad's having an affair with?" A pause. Neither of them said anything. "Her best friend. I was caught in the middle, being forced to take a side. I heard my phone ring and was told that if I answered that, I would either be grounded or have my cell taken away."

Wufei locked eyes with her as they sat in the parked car. "That's the truth?"

"I don't bullshit you, you know me too well." Sally hugged her backpack in her lap and hoped like crazy that he didn't know her well enough to know that wasn't all of it. None of that was a lie; it just wasn't everything, such as how she didn't want to believe that she had feelings for her best friend. She hated that things had to change.

"Fine." Wufei jumped out of the car and shouldered his bag. "I'll see you in class then?"

Sally felt a pain somewhere in her chest; everything was falling apart. Aching, she told him, "Yeah."

Wufei headed for the school doors and Sally stared at the shine in her windshield, trying not to let her eyes tear up.

She didn't even see Wufei turn back once and give her a worried look.

* * *

><p>"Duo!" Hilde shoved him back towards his room. "You're sick as a dog. You're not going to school."<p>

"Aww c'mon, Hilde, it's just a little fever." Regardless, Duo's eyelids started to flutter and he crumpled to the ground, half-conscious. "Damn, that is some fever."

"Were you able to convince him?" Mr. Maxwell asked from the hall. "I really need to get to work and I don't want to leave him alone."

"I can handle it." Hilde headed for bathroom and wet a washcloth with cool water, then came back and wiped Duo's face down. "If you can handle calling me and Duo in, I can take care of him."

"Thank you, I can call you and my son in." Mr. Maxwell turned and went into the kitchen to make the call.

"Come on, Duo, you need to at least make it into your bed." Hilde sighed as Duo groaned. "Couch if you can't make it that far."

"You have nice eyes, Hilde." Duo grinned fever-drunkenly at her. "You're a good person. You're kind of bitchy sometimes-"

"I'm going to disregard that..." Hilde muttered, attempting to help him up.

"But you're a good person." Duo continued as if he hadn't heard her. "You know why I'm telling you this?"

"Because you've got a fever that's making you loopier than cheerios." Hilde managed to get him onto his feet.

"Because you're a good person, and I l-" Duo paused and glanced around.

Hilde practically threw Duo onto his bed and sat on the floor at the end of the bed. Her heart was thudding wildly in her chest, and not just from the exertion of getting Duo onto his bed.

"I'm leaving now, take good care of him for me, Hilde." Mr. Maxwell called as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

"Will do!" Hilde called after him.

"Because I love you." Duo stumbled over the words, and within seconds after saying them, he was asleep.

Hilde hung her head, wiped her eyes and wondered if that was the only time Duo would ever say that.

* * *

><p>"Trowa, we don't have a tutoring session today, why are you..." Catherine peered up at Trowa, obviously confused. "Why are you here?"<p>

"I had a question to ask you." Trowa's heart was fluttering in his chest, he had never asked a girl out before. He fought down all his nervousness.

"Yes, it's ok if you don't tutor me anymore, I know I'm a bad student." Catherine flashed him a smile. "You probably have better things to do than hang out with me anyway, right?"

"Actually," Trowa couldn't fight down the tiny smile that had overtaken him. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing the two circus tickets. "The circus is in town in a week, and I want you to come with me." Trowa inwardly flinched at how demanding that had sounded.

"Of course, I'll go with you!" Catherine half-tackled, half-hugged him. "Wait..." She murmured, and stared him down as if debating.

"What's the matter?" Trowa's smile disappeared and his heart hammered harder. Could a 16-year-old have a heart attack?

"Is this a date?" Catherine's brow creased with worry.

"Yes." Trowa nodded.

"Perfect!" Catherine squeezed him tighter, and Trowa couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

><p>AN: I actually wanted to do bonus material with Principal Treize and Secretary Une, but I had no clue what to call Lady Une in this story! If anyone knows if she has a first name or if that is her first name, or... anyone with information, please come forward. I would love to do a little bonus scene with them, but I just don't know what to call her... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed I would love to hear from you.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I have a little time to type before it storms, so I wanted to add to this. Despite reader suggestions, I ended up using something from Une's ethnic origin on the official Gundam site to get her last name. Thank you for all of your comments helping me out though, I appreciate them beyond anything I can say.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I make no profit from this.

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><p>"Noin, you're sure you don't want to take a family leave?" Principal Treize asked for at least the tenth time since Noin had come to work. "A death in the family is a largely unsettling thing, you shouldn't have to worry about keeping up appearances for your students."<p>

"I'm fine, Principal." Noin mustered up a smile and tried not to glance at Une Schultz, Treize's secretary who she didn't get along with. Une was probably satisfied with this development, Noin thought to herself, somewhat bitterly. "It's been a week of everyone asking me if I'm alright, I really just want everything to be as normal as possible."

"If you say so." Treize gave Noin a sympathetic look. "Class starts soon if you're so adamant about not taking a leave."

Noin hurried out of the office, waved at Milliardo in the hall, took a deep breath and headed for her class. She could do this, she knew it.

* * *

><p>"You're sure she can handle it?" Une eyed her boss, and her boyfriend, Principal Treize from her desk. "She's not the strongest woman there is."<p>

"I'm sure she can handle it. She isn't one to break down in front of anyone." Treize leaned over Une's desk to kiss her briefly. "She's strong, just like you."

"Please, do _not_ compare Noin to me." Une smirked up at him and simultaneously shifted her papers around on her desk. "We both know that I am far superior."

"Of course you are." Treize smiled and kissed her forehead. "You're far superior to any woman I've ever known."

"That's good to hear." Une's smirk grew, even as Principal Treize took his place at his desk.

It was going to be a good day, she figured, or at least, that was what it looked like through her wire-rimmed glasses.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Noin looked like hell in class today." Dorothy sat with Quatre at their free period, watching him hand feed a pigeon bread crumbs.<p>

"That's not a very nice thing to say." Quatre turned the full force of his baby blues on her. "You shouldn't judge people, Dorothy."

"I'm not." Dorothy rolled her eyes. "I'm speculating, there's a big difference. How do you get the birds to eat from your hand like that?"

Quatre didn't answer; instead he dumped a few breadcrumbs into her palm and held her hand out to the pigeon by holding the back of her hand. "Be very quiet." He murmured as the bird stared at Dorothy's hand before it leaned in and grabbed a breadcrumb from Dorothy's palm.

"But... animals hate me." Dorothy whispered. The pigeon finished off the bread and flew away, but Dorothy remained in place, her heart fluttering. Quatre's hand was still under hers, and he wove his fingers through hers.

"You can be anyone you want to be, Dorothy." Quatre murmured, holding her hand with both of his. "But I would really like it if you were yourself."

"I just don't want to get hurt." Dorothy shook her head. "If I'm a bitch to anyone who could possibly hurt me, they don't get close enough to do so."

"Anyone can hurt you." Quatre slipped his arm around her shoulders. "It's not a question of if they can hurt you, it's a question of intent. And if you never get close enough, you'll never know anyone's intent."

Dorothy felt her stomach do three or four somersaults and then tie itself in a knot. He had a point, but that didn't get rid of her fears.

As if he had read her mind, Quatre added, "I'll help."

Dorothy gave a little nod and leaned into him. If she was drowning in this high school "experience" than Quatre could definitely keep her afloat.

Though someday, she hoped she could handle things on her own, Quatre was her lifeline at the moment, and she needed him more than anyone else.

* * *

><p>"Did you finish your project yet?" Relena asked, later that day. When Heero gave her confused eyes, she added, "You know, with your laptop."<p>

"There's no such thing as a permanent record." Heero replied. "Feeling better?"

Relena blinked, stunned by how natural the unemotional Heero had sounded as he asked that. "Yeah." She said finally, though it hurt somewhere in her chest to admit to herself that she still wasn't speaking to Dorothy. "Friendships can't be perfect all the time, and if it's meant to be over then it's over. I just need to accept it for what it is."

"You sound confident." Heero was studying her now; intrigued with how many changes Relena had been through in the past few weeks.

"I can't be a mess forever." Relena shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to suck it up, you know? Some things aren't meant to last."

"But you've known Dorothy so long." Heero blinked, he hadn't meant to let that slip. Sure, he had been keeping an eye on Relena for years, not that he wanted her to know that.

Relena smiled at him, but didn't say anything about the fact he had stalked her as a child. "Fake friends are through school, true friends are for life." She kissed Heero's cheek, leaving him stunned. "Anyway, I'm going to go get my things together for my next class, so I'll see you soon Heero."

Heero watched her walk away, confused. Girls sure were strange creatures.

* * *

><p>"Sally?" Wufei sat beside her at their lunch period. "Why are you alone?"<p>

"I just..." Sally shrugged. The past week had been hell, as she had been avoiding all social contact. She didn't feel like putting on a face and pretending everything was ok. It wasn't. "Didn't feel like being a social butterfly today, I guess."

"You've been avoiding me." Wufei sat beside her without asking for permission.

"I haven't really talked to anyone much lately." Sally attempted to smooth her hair out; she hadn't had time to put it up that morning between the parents screaming at each other and breaking various household objects to get back at each other. She had wanted out of that house more than a nervous dog in a crate.

"What's wrong?" Wufei's eyebrows narrowed, he was worried, Sally could tell. "You're not yourself."

"I'm sorry, I've been nothing but a bitch to you lately." Sally swallowed the lump in her throat; she was _not _going to cry. She wasn't one of those girls who cried to get her way.

"I..." Wufei paused; he didn't know how to handle this Sally. "Some of it is understandable, being that your home life is hell, but I'm supposed to be your friend! You can't avoid me and tell me that nothing is wrong when something is!"

"I don't want things to change between us, ok?" Sally took a sip of water, trying to hold her composure. She could tell it was no use, she was like a shaken bottle of soda, the second she tried to open up she was going to burst, though unlike that soda bottle she would be in tears.

"Things are always changing." Wufei argued. "You can't stop anything from changing. Change is the only constant."

"I know..." Sally choked out. The tears were starting, but she wasn't going to let Wufei see them, not if she could help it. "I can't be here right now." She tried to stand up, but Wufei grabbed her and pulled her back down, so close to him, too close to him.

"Woman," Wufei began, the way he did when something about her was really bothering him. "You're not going to run away this time."

A long pause, but they didn't break eye contact.

"I don't want to be just your girl-toy." Sally whispered finally, the words almost lost amongst the clamor of the lunchroom. "And I don't want to lose you."

"Don't be so paranoid." Wufei leaned in and kissed her full on the mouth.

The end of the worst week of Sally's life suddenly became the best day of her life. Even if she didn't want things to change, that kiss felt so... right.

* * *

><p>"You're so cute, you took care of me while I was sick!" Duo teased while Hilde did her homework at the lunch table. "Did I say anything memorable?"<p>

"Duo, shut up." Hilde whapped him lightly on the forehead with her eraser. "Unlike you, I actually do my homework, so shut up and let me work."

"You're in a mood." Duo looped his arms around her and pulled her in close to him, as he had done for years. "What's eating you?"

"I'm seriously going to murder you and bury you in my backyard if you don't let go." Hilde muttered, but she wasn't serious at all and it showed. "Please, please just let me work on this. I want to graduate."

"Hilde?" Duo's eyes went wide, and his grip loosened. "Hilde what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Hilde felt a drop of water roll down her neck, and she realized with horror that she was crying, in the middle of the lunchroom, in front of Duo.

It just figured, didn't it, since she couldn't stop thinking about his feverish confession. Not that he had remembered saying that to her when his fever broke.

"Hilde..." Duo used his warning voice, something that he had adopted from his father. "Tell me what's wrong."

"You're an idiot!" Hilde yelled, loud enough that a large majority of the cafeteria's occupants stopped, shut up and stared at her. She grabbed her homework binder and ran into the girls' bathroom, openly sobbing. She collapsed onto the floor, sat against the wall and just let herself cry.

When the door opened, she suspected to see Duo sneaking into the girls' bathroom to find out what was wrong and comfort her. Instead, two girls stood over her. One had long, dark blonde hair and pitying blue eyes, and the other had red, short, curly hair and worried purple eyes.

"Boy troubles?" The redhead asked, sitting on Hilde's right.

"Yes." Hilde managed, trying to contain her sobs. She hated it when people saw her cry, especially people she didn't know.

"Talk to us about it." The blonde sat on Hilde's left. "It helps."

Hilde looked between them, hoping that she could trust them, because right now, she had no one else she could talk to.

* * *

><p>"Did you have a good time?" Trowa asked as he and Catherine sat on her front porch, the only light coming from the one porch light that was covered in moths.<p>

"Yes." Catherine smiled at him, fitting herself against his side. "You're a great guy Trowa. Thank you for taking me on such a wonderful date."

Trowa smiled and gave her a little nod. "You have a tutoring session tomorrow, correct?"

"Well, you should know too, shouldn't you?" Catherine giggled. "You are my tutor after all. But yeah, you're still going to tutor me?"

"I wouldn't let you fail math." Trowa smiled slightly. The porch light went off, on, off, on, off. "Though your parents might become more watchful after this."

"I should probably go inside, that's my Mom's code." Catherine smiled, stood there for a moment and then leaned in and kissed him, just a peck on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye, Trowa!" With a flourish she was up the porch steps and standing in the doorway. "Drive safe, ok?"

Trowa nodded once more, and then he was off in his car.

Catherine watched to make sure he got out of the driveway, then stood there for a few minutes more, smiling to herself.

All in all, a very good day.

* * *

><p>"Noin, it's late." Milliardo tried to corral the emotionally distant teacher into his bedroom, but she wouldn't go.<p>

"Do you think that he's in heaven?" Noin stared up at the stars through the big window in the living room. "Or do you think he went to hell?"

"I believe that you shouldn't think about that if you want a good night's rest." Milliardo was considering throwing Noin over his shoulder and carrying her, but he wasn't quite at that level of frustration yet. "It's nearly midnight." He added in hopes of getting her to come to bed.

"Do you think he can see us right now?" Noin continued, closing her eyes. "Is he cursing me for living and being in love or is he happy that I'm alive?"

"I think he's happy that you didn't follow in his footsteps." Milliardo gently took Noin's hand and tried to lead her into the bedroom.

"Are you sure you want me to move in with you?" Noin changed the subject, and for the first time, glanced around at all the unpacked boxes of her clothes, pictures and such. "I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes."

"I am sure." Milliardo gave a little tug and successfully began to lead her into his bedroom. "You can go back to your house after a few months, if you want to, but I want to look after you. It makes me feel needed." He didn't admit that he was sure he needed to keep an eye on her, which would've made her rebel.

"Alright, I guess I am tired." Noin gave in and cuddled up next to him in his bed. "Thanks, for always being there." She murmured as she closed her eyes.

When he was sure she was asleep, Milliardo replied, "Thank you for never giving up on me."

* * *

><p>AN: Well, even I'm wondering what he meant... These chapters take forever and a day. Anyway, I'm sorry I had to do it out of order, but that was the way I believed it fit. And I didn't do Catherine and Trowa's date, sorry. I'm not an expert in that category and their scene would've been too long. Alright, your turn, I would love to hear your comments, so drop me a review? Yes, no, maybe so?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: First off, special thanks goes to StraightedgeWingZero, who's been discussing this story with me and helping me out. Also, thank you StraightedgeWingZero for letting me use the nickname Crazy Une. I hope you all like this. For anyone who's wondering, the TreizeXUne scenes will not be in every chapter, though there will be references to both of them throughout, either separately or together.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I make no profit from this. I also don't own the TV show, George Lopez, which I took the last little bit with Catherine's Dad and Trowa from. Kind of. If you've seen it you'll see what I mean.

* * *

><p>"Noin... it's morning..." Milliardo murmured, trying desperately to untangle himself from his girlfriend. "Noin." He repeated, trying to rouse her.<p>

"There's no school today, it's Saturday..." Noin muttered, burying her face in his t-shirt. "Don't make me get up, I was having a really nice dream."

"Alright, go back to sleep." Milliardo gently moved her off of him and onto the bed, making sure her head was on a pillow and she had enough blankets.

"Love you." Noin murmured, curling up more.

"Love you too." The blonde teacher resituated the blankets around her, and then slipped out of the room.

He mulled over the words he had said the night before, how he had thanked Noin for never giving up on him. They had both been through a lot, Noin especially, but Milliardo had the most family troubles, not counting the death of Noin's brother of course.

Milliardo's parents had died when he was five, and he had been separated from his little sister, Relena, by child protective services when they were put up for adoption. Though he had tracked Relena down, without her knowing, the moment he turned 18, he had still been damaged goods from his parents' death. Noin had been the one person, who even as a kid, never gave up on him.

Milliardo peeked back into his room, where Noin had kicked off her blankets again. He tucked them back around her and kissed her forehead lightly.

He loved her, and he would return the favor. She had never given up on him, so he would never give up on her.

* * *

><p>"It's really early, Quatre, use smaller words and speak slower." Dorothy yawned and rubbed her eyes. 7:30 was a God-awful hour to be talking to a boy, cutie or not.<p>

"I want to help you work things out with Relena." Quatre smiled at Dorothy. "May I come in?"

"If you value your life then no." Dorothy ran her hands through her hair, which she hadn't had time to brush. Hell, Quatre had woken her up when he knocked on the front door. "Can't this wait?"

"No, may I please come in?" Quatre took a step into the doorway, without her permission, and shut the door after himself. "Dorothy, I want you to make up with Relena."

Dorothy's heart sank; he didn't like her and he didn't want to be around her anymore, she was sure. "Why?" She clenched her nails into her palms to keep from crying. She didn't want it to end, especially not like this.

"I really like you Dorothy-" Quatre blinked at her in surprise as her eyes teared up. "What's wrong?"

"You're breaking up with me and we're not even together!" Dorothy shook her head, trying to dispel the pain she felt inside.

"No!" Quatre blinked and quickly apologized for his outburst. "That's not it at all, I just don't think that you're happy with just me. You need a friend of your own gender that you can talk to about... girl things."

"What girl things can't I talk about you with?" Dorothy's tears were dissipating, a look of confusion taking their place. "You have sisters, and you're sensitive. You might as well be a girl." She blinked, and then said, "That sounded worse than how I meant it..."

"If we... start to date..." Quatre seemed at a loss for words, fidgeting and more nervous than a cat at the vet. "Who will you complain about me to?"

"Have I ever had any complaints about you?" Dorothy narrowed her eyes. "You _are _sick of me, aren't you?"

"Dorothy, no, not at all." Quatre smiled at her, a dim reality of his usual smile. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am." Dorothy gave him a rare smile and a hug. "Though you're annoying the shit out of me with all this confusing talk."

"Sorry." Quatre chuckled, a nervous little laugh and let her lead him into the living room.

Dorothy still wondered if she was truly happy with just Quatre, even though she had said it.

She would keep wondering for a while.

* * *

><p>"I hate that she won't just tell me what was going on." Relena muttered into her cell phone as she lay on her bed, spread out in the middle of it. "Heero, are you there?"<p>

"I'm listening." Heero dropped something on the other line and muttered a short list of heavy profanities to himself before adding, "You haven't asked any questions, so I haven't been required to say anything."

"You're a horrible phone talker." Relena wandered into the bathroom, looking for good nail polish. "Most people would at least let me know they're still there and they didn't hang up on me."

"I'm still here." Heero swore again and Relena stifled her laugh with a cough.

"What are you doing?" Relena asked, as a clatter of metal on the other end of the line made her flinch.

"Fixing my car." Heero sighed. "I have to go. I just spilled several components that I need. Why don't you just let whatever secret Dorothy was keeping from you go?"

"It's the principle, Heero." Relena sighed. "Alright, I'll talk to you later." But she realized that he had hung up on her after she said alright. "Some manners you have." She muttered and sat down to paint her toenails.

* * *

><p>"So you're stalking me now?" Wufei noted as he spotted Sally's car in his driveway. "Do you think I cheated on you already?"<p>

"It was bad." Sally muttered as she popped open the passenger side door for him. "It was really bad." She rubbed her eyes, smearing mascara that Wufei didn't know she wore, and kept her eyes closed.

"Your parents?" Wufei guessed, climbing in and sitting with her. "What happened?"

"They're arguing over me now. Like I'm property." Sally tried to laugh, but it came out a dry sob. "Dad wants to move across the country and take me with him, because Mom is an unfit Mother, or so he says. Mom says he's a terrible influence and she'll let him take me over her rotting corpse. It's just... not a pleasant situation. At all." Sally let out another dry sob, but the tears weren't coming, she had cried herself all out at home.

"Sally..." Wufei leaned over the console and hugged her. "If all fails, I could probably convince my parents to let you stay with us..."

"Don't do that." Sally snapped, pushing him away. "I don't want to see our relationship ruined the way my parents' was. I know there's no such thing as happily ever after, I'm not some stupid little kid, but couldn't I end up happy just once? I hate that everything is falling all apart! I hate it!" She whacked the steering wheel and the horn blared, causing several neighbors to look at them.

Wufei blinked in surprise. Sally had always been his protector, and now the tables were turned. "I'll make sure everything turns out alright." He whispered, pulling Sally over the console a bit so she could rest her head on his shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

Sally took a deep breath and tried to believe him. She tried with everything she had, but it just wasn't working.

* * *

><p>"Hilde, are you ever going to tell me what I did that made you so mad?" Duo sighed. He was stretched across length of the couch, giving Hilde a little room to sit with him, though he had his head on her lap.<p>

"Do I have to?" Hilde sighed and leaned back against the couch.

"If you don't, I may have to sick Crazy Une on you." Duo grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Oh like you have any control over Crazy Une." Hilde gave a small giggle, the premise was still funny, whether or not Duo could actually do it. "It's just hard to talk about." She added and shrugged. She didn't meet his eyes.

"I didn't... did I?" Duo's eyes filled with fear without him even saying it.

"It wasn't anything physical that you did, promise." Hilde was able to meet his eyes for a second. "Just... something you said threw me for a loop."

"Oh yeah?" The fear in the braided boy's eyes disappeared and he got a devilish look to him. "What was it?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Hilde maintained her belief that she didn't want to talk about it. After all, maybe she could just put it in the past, though everyone believed that she couldn't do that.

_"You can't just shove it aside." Relena sighed as they sat in the girls' bathroom on the tile floor. "It'll be really hard to talk about with him if he doesn't remember, but if you just shove it in a box in the back of your mind, well..."_

_"Then if you're together, later in life, you'll harbor resentment for him for not remembering." Catherine shook her head. "Something similar with my parents, 15 months of therapy and it still gets whipped out in arguments. Not pretty."_

_"Trust me, you need to bring it up." Relena continued. "You might be able to spark his memory, but chances are you might have to just tell him."_

_Hilde closed her eyes; this was going to be hard._

"Nothing." Hilde blinked, and the next thing she knew Duo was pinning her down on the couch, kissing her like she was sure she had never been kissed before.

"Bastard!" Hilde whacked him upside the head when they came up for air. "You knew all along, you asshole!"

"Nah." Duo smirked as Hilde tried to roll out of his grip. "I just got a flash of it laying there with my head on your lap. Ow." He flinched suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Hilde instantly went into panic mode.

"You're on my braid." Duo, despite his pain, smiled at her.

"You deserve it." Hilde smirked, but sat up and pulled his braid out from under her shoulders.

"Still mad?" Duo pouted his famous puppy dog pout.

"No." Hilde kept a straight face until she added, "For now," And let out a crazy laugh.

Both of them were still laughing when Mr. Maxwell walked in the door.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on, Trowa!" Catherine begged. She was on her knees, on the floor, her dress in a puddle around her. "Please?"<p>

"Alright, alright." Trowa's lips perked up at the corners in his smile. "We can have our tutoring session outside. It is nice."

"Yes!" Catherine jumped up and tackled him at the same time, landing on his lap. Blushing, she jumped off of him, her face slowly turning the same color as a ripe tomato.

"You're beautiful." Trowa murmured, touching the side of her face with his fingertips.

Catherine's lips turned up into a smile too, and then she became serious again. "Trowa." She stretched out his name. "Come on, this is the one time we need to be serious and you're hitting on me?"

"Inappropriate. Sorry." Trowa gathered up the math books and led Catherine out onto the porch. "You're actually making progress in your math." He said, trying to regain his stoic composure.

"You say that like you're surprised." Catherine made a face at him, but ended up laughing. "Oh geez, now I can't be serious. Sorry."

"Why are you always so happy?" Trowa asked as he spread the books out.

"You don't like my upbeat attitude?" Catherine frowned, but never lost the sparkle in her eyes.

"I admire it." Trowa smiled and leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Son," Catherine's father boomed from the doorway. "I appreciate young love and all, but right now you're here to help my daughter with her math."

"Sorry sir." Trowa leaned back away from Catherine, turning back to his math books.

"Oh, and if you break my daughter's heart, I'll bury you next to Jason." Catherine's Father added with a smirk.

"Who's Jason?" Trowa raised an eyebrow.

"Jason is what makes my flowers bloom." Catherine's Dad gestured around at the garden.

Trowa paled.

"Daddy!" Catherine rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her father was always like this, and it just figured that Trowa didn't get the joke.

* * *

><p>AN: This story will be coming to a close soon, when everyone gets their issues worked out. I have no clue how long that will take, so please don't ask me how many chapters I have left. Anyway, will you tell me how I'm doing? What did you like/hate/love/didn't care about? Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I feel like I haven't added on this story in forever... mostly it's been the weather preventing it, but my other Gundam Wing story, Troublemaker too. And the fact that I feel like crap. Anyway, lets get on with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I make no profit from this.

* * *

><p>"Are you ever going to tell her?" Noin asked suddenly as her and Milliardo sat at the kitchen table. She had been staring into her coffee for the past 15 minutes as if was a crystal ball, refused to eat anything, and until now hadn't said a word.<p>

Milliardo looked up from the papers he had been grading, the stack was never ending. "I don't know... Relena was too young to remember me." He set his pen down and sighed. "Maybe after she's out of high school, I think it would be strange for her to have her brother as a teacher."

"Probably." Noin gave a bit of a nod, never looking away from her coffee.

"You should eat something." Milliardo said for the fifth time since he had finished cooking. Now, the plates of food sat on the table, but Noin had refused to touch anything.

"I don't feel like it." Noin rubbed her eyes, picked up her coffee, looked around and set it back down. "Am I overreacting?"

"Your brother died, I don't believe so." Milliardo patted her hand gently. He wasn't going to admit it, but her pain hurt him. To see someone like her, so strong and sure of themselves, in such agony, it made his chest hurt. "Grief is hard on everyone, even incredibly strong people like you."

"Yeah." Noin nodded, took a sip of her coffee and made a face.

"You don't take your coffee black." Milliardo smiled as he turned back towards his papers he had to grade again.

"Right." Noin managed a quick smile and got up to heat up her coffee and add creamer and sugar. "Thank you."

"No problem." Milliardo graded his papers in silence after that, but Noin felt just a tiny bit better. Someone was there for her, someone who knew her like the back of his hand.

It helped, it really helped.

* * *

><p>"Quatre, if you come over so early one more time, I'm going to-" Dorothy caught sight of a girl loitering by Quatre's car. "Who is that?"<p>

"Relena." Quatre sighed. He looked like a puppy that had just piddled on the new carpet, guilty to an extreme. "I really want you to make up with her."

Dorothy nudged Quatre aside as gently as she could and ran over to her best friend. "Relena, what the hell did you do to your hair?"

Relena ran her fingers through her pixie cut and grinned. "Are you shocked?"

"I wasn't fooling around with anyone." Dorothy held back anything she had been about to say about Relena's hair. "I fell asleep on the phone with Quatre and I was trying to hurry getting ready, that's why my shirt wasn't on right."

"You didn't need to hide that." Relena sighed. "Why did you keep something that simple from me?"

"Because I wanted him to be mine... my secret." Dorothy lowered her voice so Quatre wouldn't hear her. "I was scared that maybe you would feel you were being replaced, or you would want him for your own..."

"I wouldn't steal anyone you like, Dorothy." Relena sighed; she knew her friend's insecurities all too well. "You shouldn't be so paranoid."

"So the fight is over?" Dorothy swallowed hard, she felt near tears, though they were happy tears. "You're not mad anymore?"

"I was never mad." Relena smiled at her. "Frustrated, sure, but not mad."

Dorothy gave her best friend a long hug, and then ran up the porch steps and grabbed Quatre, kissing him hard.

Relena laughed as Quatre turned bright red.

* * *

><p>Later, after Quatre had driven Relena home, Relena's cell rang. She picked it up and glanced at the screen, then fumbled and almost dropped it in surprise.<p>

"Heero?" She managed when she had gotten the cell up to her ear. "Heero, is everything ok? Why are you calling me?"

"I'm sorry I hung up on you." Heero's voice, it was clearly Heero's voice, Relena thought. No one was faking this call to get their kicks. Heero Yuy was actually apologizing.

"Oh, it's ok." Relena couldn't control the crazy smile that was creeping across her face. "But this time can you say goodbye? I would really like that..."

"Yes." Heero swore, and from the sound of it, dropped the phone. Relena flinched at the clatter.

"What are you doing this time?" Relena pressed the phone between her shoulder and ear. "Fixing your car again?"

"No." Heero dropped something else and Relena smiled. "Fixing my Dad's car."

"Why isn't your Dad fixing his own car?" Relena put the cell on speaker and started to wash the dishes.

"Because the last time Dad fixed his car, he got on the highway and the hood burst into flames." Heero was unruffled by this, as always.

"My God, was he ok?" Relena glanced at the phone; almost wishing she could see Heero, see if he really wasn't worried about any of this.

"He got out of the car pretty quickly, so yeah." Heero dropped the phone again, and this time it hung up on her.

So much for goodbye.

* * *

><p>"Why are we here?" Sally sighed as she and Wufei wandered the stretch of abandoned playground equipment.<p>

"You need someplace quiet." Wufei sat on the grass beside her, pulling her down. "I heard them yelling over the phone."

"Yes, that's pretty much commonplace now." Sally shrugged. "They haven't hit each other yet, so it's not as bad as it could be, really."

"You're not yourself." Wufei pulled her head down onto his shoulder. "My parents said you could have the guest room if you wanted."

"I feel like..." Sally closed her eyes. "The closer I get to you, the more terrified I am of losing you. Like everything will break if I end up staying at your house, you know?"

"It won't." Wufei ran his fingers through Sally's hair. "I won't let it."

"We couldn't convince my parents anyway." Sally swallowed hard, she hated this twisted game that her family had become.

"We'll see about that..." Wufei smirked. He would do whatever it took.

* * *

><p>"What are you two watching?" Mr. Maxwell eyed the TV that Duo and Hilde sat in front of with curiosity.<p>

"She's forcing me to watch an M. Night Shyamalan movie marathon." Duo said nonchalantly, and then mouthed, _"Dad, help me!" _over the top of Hilde's head.

Mr. Maxwell pressed his lips together so he wouldn't laugh, and then turned away, giving a little wave. "Have fun children!" He called over his shoulder.

"This is not my idea of how to spend a Sunday." Duo teased, though he pulled Hilde closer to him as he said it.

"Picky, picky." Hilde bopped him on the nose. "I could go home."

"Somehow I doubt that." Duo tightened his grip on Hilde, not so much that she was in pain, but enough that she couldn't get away.

"Duo!" Hilde squeaked and swatted at him. "Duo, stop it. You're being annoying."

"You're just being difficult." Duo scowled, Hilde hadn't been this easily angered since they were kids. "Why are you so volatile today? I feel like I've been sitting with an angry cheetah all day and it's a wonder I have all my limbs."

Hilde was about to say something, and then her phone beeped. She leaned away from her boyfriend to check the message, and then stood. "I have to get out of here. I'll see you later."

"Hilde..." Duo sighed, but he chose not to go after her as she walked out, slamming the door behind her. Sometimes Hilde just had to cool off. "Women..." He shook his head and stretched out on the couch.

* * *

><p>"So your family doesn't have some Sunday ritual?" Trowa asked as he and Catherine huddled on the porch.<p>

Catherine looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Does yours?"

"No, but a lot of families do." Trowa didn't want to betray just how antisocial he had been, but he couldn't help adding, "I think."

"Let me guess, before me you read a lot and didn't talk to a lot of people?" Catherine smiled at Trowa, and Trowa couldn't but think how easygoing she was. For all the girls that got into fights over boys, Catherine was in great contrast to them.

"Something like that." Trowa pulled her closer.

"Well my family isn't like that. We're not like families in books." Catherine leaned against him, her eyes closing in contentment.

"I can tell." Trowa kissed her forehead. "You're much more special."

Catherine smiled. "You're so sweet. How did I ever get a guy like you?"

"You're perfect, how could any guy resist you?" Trowa kissed her cheek.

"You're perfect." Catherine whispered, but she couldn't help the tenseness in her chest. Lots of guys had resisted her, even hated her...

* * *

><p>AN: Every time I think I'm getting close to the end of this story, more things pop up. It's kind of frustrating, but kind of nice. Anyway, tell me what you hated/loved/liked/disliked/didn't give a flip about. I love to hear from my readers, and thank you so much for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Again, it's late and I'm just starting this. I always put off adding to High School Education because it takes so long to type up a chapter and I like to go straight through and do it. Ah, well, I won't bore you with any more of my excuses. Lets get on with it before I get any sleepier.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I make no profit from this.

* * *

><p>"Noin, have you seen my tests?" Milliardo glanced around nervously, both of them were already running ten minutes late and he couldn't find the tests he had spent days grading.<p>

"They're in your office." Noin was busy trying to find the blouse she wanted, which meant she was wearing jeans and a bra around the house.

As if Milliardo wasn't distracted enough to begin with.

"Are you going to be alright working today?" Milliardo asked as he gathered up the papers and stuffed them in his workbag.

"Don't worry so much about me." Noin leaned into his office and kissed him quickly. "Yesterday wasn't the best day for me, but I'm getting better."

"Do you want to go to a support group or something?" Milliardo asked. He zipped his bag just as Noin pulled on her blouse.

"Honey, you are my support group." Noin gave him a hug. "Now lets get to work before the kids think we're not coming and have a free for all."

* * *

><p>"Why didn't Relena want a ride?" Dorothy asked as she climbed into Quatre's car. "Was she afraid I was going to be all mushy with you or anything of that nature?"<p>

"She just got her driver's license, and she wanted to drive herself." Quatre gave Dorothy a sideways smile.

"Ugh." Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, are we still on for our study date tomorrow night?"

"As long as you still want to." Quatre kept his eyes on the road, but his smile betrayed just how excited he was.

"Duh, Quatre, I'm the one that asked you." Dorothy laughed, though the truth of why she had wanted to have a study date with him was to start things slow. She didn't want to kill their relationship before it even began. "Of course I still want to."

"When are you going to get your driver's license?" Quatre added as they paused at the stoplight.

"I have no frickin' clue." Dorothy rubbed her eyes. "My Mom doesn't trust me with a car." Then she mimicked, "'Dorothy, you're such a violent person. I can just imagine the damage you'd do with a vehicle. Don't expect to drive until you're thirty.'"

"You're not really." Quatre murmured as he pulled the car into the school's driveway. "You talk tough, but you're actually really gentle and kind."

"Would you like to vouch that for me to my Mom?" Dorothy raised an eyebrow.

"If you want me to." Quatre smiled at her. "But if she still says no, I don't mind driving you around. It gives me quality time with you."

"You sound like such a parent sometimes." Dorothy huffed, but in a strange way, she appreciated it.

* * *

><p>"Relena!" Heero walked over to her, and he didn't look happy. "I called to see if you wanted a ride but you didn't pick up."<p>

"My cell?" Relena laughed a bit, though it was sad. "Dad took my cell away. It involved an argument about my family and Dad got teed off."

"Your family?" Heero was hooked, Relena rarely talked about her family in any situation.

"My real family." Relena grabbed Heero's hand and tugged him inside the school. "I was adopted, separated from my blood brother, and I said I wanted to find my brother. My parents were less than happy, especially my Father."

"Ah." Heero took a chance and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side.

"H-Heero?" Relena looked up at him in complete and utter shock. "Heero, what are you doing?"

"Sorry." Heero moved away from her and kept his distance.

_Damn it! Can't I do anything right?_ Relena thought as she looked at Heero. _I mess everything up._

In a last ditch effort to tell Heero he wasn't doing anything wrong, she stepped in front of him and kissed him gently, sweetly.

Several people whistled, and Catherine and Hilde smiled as they passed by.

When Relena pulled away, Heero slipped his arm back around her waist, and Relena leaned into him, smiling.

* * *

><p>"Wufei, you are not coming home with me to talk to my parents." Sally sighed as she stood at her locker, pulling her things out of it for class. "With my luck they'll throw something and it will hit you."<p>

"It's bad for you to stay there." Wufei was dead set on enacting his master plan, making sure Sally moved in with his family before things got worse at her house. After all, his parents loved Sally.

"I can handle it, I'm not as weak as you think I am." Sally dropped her history textbook and sighed. "I appreciate the invitation and all, and I don't want what we have to end, but I'm afraid moving in with you will crash our relationship and make my parents' fighting worse." She lowered her voice to add, "I would never forgive myself if one them killed the other because I wasn't there."

"You are the child, Sally." Wufei growled. "They are not your responsibility. They are supposed to make sure you have a safe, loving home to come to, and that they're there for you. You are not supposed to take care of them. Not like this."

"Not now, Wufei, I'm late for class." Sally called over her shoulder as she walked away.

Wufei heaved a sigh. Sometimes, that girl was more than he could handle.

* * *

><p>"Hilde!" At their free period, Duo ran over to Hilde, who looked more than worn out, and tackled her. "You look like hell."<p>

"I am _in_ hell." Hilde murmured, snuggling close to his chest. "Take me away."

"What's wrong?" Duo sat down against the wall, hugging her close. "Hilde, what happened?"

"I've been keeping a secret from you." Hilde sighed, clutching at him so he couldn't leave. "Please don't think badly of me for telling you about it now..."

"I would never think badly of you." Duo stroked her hair and hauled her closer. "Just tell me, it probably won't be a big deal."

"My sister is a whackjob." Hilde looked up at him. "And don't laugh, because I'm dead serious. When I was little and she was about thirteen, she tried to kill herself three different times. They had her on medication after that, and she was better, but now she's pregnant and she can't take her medication. They've got her at the hospital on suicide watch."

"Is that why you were all annoyed yesterday and left so suddenly?" Duo asked, he finally understood where Hilde's come and go temper had come from.

"Yes. Mom said that my sister wanted to see me." Hilde readjusted her hold on a fistful of Duo's shirt. "Please say you're not mad..."

"I'm not." Duo hugged her closer, squeezing her gently against him.

"Really?" Hilde looked up at him in surprise.

"Some things are just too hard to tell people." Duo flashed her an easygoing smile. "I understand."

Hilde wrapped her arms around his neck, the weight of the world off her shoulders for the moment.

* * *

><p>"Are you avoiding me?" Trowa asked as he caught Catherine in the parking lot. "It seems like you're avoiding me. Feel free to explain."<p>

"I'm sorry, it was a subconscious thing..." Catherine stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was just thinking about how you said I was perfect... I'm not, Trowa, I'm really not. There's much more to me than a lot of people see. I have a past and a lot of insecurities, just like any girl."

"What could possibly be in your past that's so horrible?" Trowa gently laid his hands on her hips. "You're a wonderful person."

"I used to date a lot." Catherine began slowly. "And I mean a lot. But guy after guy began to turn me down because I wouldn't have sex with them. They began to hate me, there was some cyber bullying at one point, and after that, no guy wanted to date me because I wouldn't put out." Catherine leaned her face against Trowa's chest. "You have no clue what that did to my self-esteem, I'm messed up. I really do like you, Trowa. You're the best guy I've met so far. I just don't want to mess everything up."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to in this relationship." Trowa leaned down, hesitated, and then kissed her gently.

Despite all her insecurities, Catherine felt just a little bit better being sure that Trowa was such a good guy.

* * *

><p>AN: My net is going wonky again. (Sighs) Anyway, it took forever to write this, as always, and I hope you guys like it. This was a pretty somber chapter as far as my chapters go, so I'm hoping the next one is happier. Will you drop me a review? I love to hear from my readers!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I actually have a quote I want to use in this chapter, which doesn't happen often. This is the final chapter! Anyway, lets get on with this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I make no profit from this.

* * *

><p>"God, I hate that dream..." Noin sat straight up in bed, trying her best not to wake Milliardo. It was only 1 in the morning, but she was wide-awake, and Milliardo would be in a few minutes if she couldn't calm down.<p>

Noin curled up against her boyfriend, trying to relax. That dream was the worst out of any nightmare she had ever had. She dreamed that she had killed her brother, shot him dead with her own two hands. She rubbed her forehead and tried to go back to sleep.

Well, that was so not happening.

"Noin, what's wrong?" Milliardo had propped himself up on one arm and was studying her. "What happened?"

"I dreamed that I killed my brother." Noin didn't feel like breaking down and crying, she just felt that distant vein of shock, like maybe she had killed her brother and just hadn't realized it yet.

"Noin, you could never kill anyone." Milliardo pulled her against his chest, holding her close. "You're too kind hearted. You're a wonderful person."

"But what if I did do something that drove him to shoot that person, to kill them because he wanted to die?" Noin inhaled sharply. "What if I caused him to want to die? I don't remember doing anything to him, I just don't..." She laughed bitterly and closed her eyes. "God, this sibling dying thing really sucks."

"You're sure you don't want to go to a support group?" Milliardo asked for the twelfth time since he thought of it.

"I don't want some stranger looking down on me for losing my mind when my brother who I wasn't not that close to died." Noin wrapped her arms around Milliardo's neck. "I don't want anyone but you to talk to about it."

"Then talk to me." Milliardo leaned down to meet her eyes.

"What is there to say?" Noin whispered, trying to level the blonde with her gaze. "He's dead, he's gone, what is there to say?"

"Anything you didn't get to say to him, or anything you hated or loved about him, anything you wanted to say about him before he died." Milliardo kissed the corner of her lips. "There's everything in the world to say whether he's dead or alive."

"Thank you." Noin managed a short-lived smile. "Thank you, I think I'll be ok."

* * *

><p>"Quatre, do you really not mind driving me everyday?" Dorothy asked later that morning as she climbed into the car with the aforementioned boy.<p>

"Of course not." Quatre backed the car out of the driveway carefully, as usual. "I like you Dorothy, a lot. Why would I not want to spend time with you?"

"Because I'm a bitch and you know it." Dorothy blinked as he flinched at her swearwords. "I'm not apologizing for that, you need to get used to it, especially if you're going to talk to my Mother."

"How bad is she?" Quatre paused at the stoplight.

"Ever heard someone drop four f-bombs in one sentence?" Dorothy laughed when Quatre's eyes went wide and he shook his head. "Trust me, you will. She's not overly cruel, but she swears enough to make a sailor say 'she said _what?_' Most of the time it's highly entertaining. You should've seen her on the phone with the cable company the other day. I could've done a drinking game with swearwords."

"You drink?" Quatre raised an eyebrow but his eyes never left the road.

"Well, you can do it with anything. I use pop." Dorothy chuckled as the color slowly came back into her boyfriend's face. "You have such little faith in me, Quatre."

"There's just so much we don't know about each other..." Quatre sighed as he parked the car in the school's lot. "There's so much I don't know about you, it makes me nervous."

"Don't be so paranoid." Dorothy ran her fingernails lightly across his cheek, making him shiver, and then cupped the back of his head. "I'm not secretly a mass murderer, I promise."

"I don't want to make you mad." Quatre leaned closer to her. "I don't want to mess something up that's been so long in the making."

"Trust me, I'm not quite that crazy to let you go." Dorothy was about to lean in and steal a kiss, but Quatre did it for her, then unbuckled and jumped out of the car in a swift movement.

Dorothy chortled to herself as she watched him run. That boy was really something else and she liked it.

* * *

><p>"Heero, why are you staring?" Relena asked as she settled by him at lunch. "It's really not nice to stare."<p>

"You're wearing makeup?" Heero couldn't help but make a face, Relena had never worn so much as a drop of lip-gloss, and here she was with lipstick on.

"I'm trying to get my father mad enough that he breaks on the finding my brother thing." Relena glared at a boy across the lunchroom that kept wolf whistling at her. "Though I feel like a whore and I don't want all this attention that it's getting me."

"Then take it off." Heero was still staring, he was having a hard time comprehending that this was Relena; after all, it didn't look like Relena.

"If I don't come home with it on, then he won't be mad enough." Relena rolled her eyes. "I wish I could just find my brother, simple as that."

Milliardo stood in the doorway of the lunchroom, and he heard her. With a sigh, he darted over to the table and tapped Relena on the shoulder. "Miss Relena, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Relena looked at Heero for a moment, and then stood and followed "Mr. Peacecraft" out into the hall.

"Relena, this may be hard to believe..." Milliardo sighed. "I am your brother, and I'm sorry I've kept this from you. I thought it would be weird for you to have your brother as a teacher."

There was a pause. Relena didn't say anything, and then she asked, "You're sure?"

"I found you when I turned 18, and I've known where you were and who you are since then." Milliardo looked away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Relena."

Relena spun and ran back into the lunchroom, taking her seat by Heero again. Tears ran down her face, streaking her makeup and making her mascara and eyeliner run.

Heero wasn't sure what it was about, but he had the idea that Relena didn't want him to ask. He slid an arm around her instead, and glared at Mr. Peacecraft who stood just outside the lunchroom.

Relena knew one day she could forgive Mr. Peacecraft, after all, he was her brother. That day just wasn't today.

* * *

><p>Across the cafeteria, Sally and Wufei sat, tucked into a corner, arguing.<p>

"I don't want you living there anymore, have you taken a look at how you're acting lately?" Wufei was staring down his girlfriend with all he had. "You're turning into a brat, Sally!"

"Wufei." Sally looked at him, trying to keep a straight face. "I talked to my Mom and she agrees that me moving out, at least temporarily, would be a good thing. Stop acting like I'm fighting your decision, I said yes!"

Several other students looked at them in surprise.

"I don't want to know what they're thinking." Sally sighed. "But you promise you won't do anything stupid when I move in with you?"

"I don't want to know what you're thinking." Wufei shook his head. "Why would I do something to change what we have?"

"I'm not saying you would. I'm saying that you might do something stupid." Sally quickly changed the subject before something else went awry. "And you're sure your parents said this would be fine?"

"My parents think you're the golden child." Wufei fingered his girlfriend's golden locks and smirked. "No pun intended."

Sally laughed; usually Wufei didn't make jokes like that. "Alright, you win. We just have to figure out the time frame."

"The weekend would work." Wufei mused. "Can you get your things out of your house during Friday afternoon to Sunday night?"

"Probably. The question is can I get past my Dad, who still wants to take me and move as far away as he can get." Sally rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "But since they're officially divorced, Mom has custody of me. She just... doesn't know what Dad will do to get his way."

"I'll be there." Wufei assured her, hugging her close. "Don't worry about it."

Sally smiled, because for once, she didn't have to.

* * *

><p>"What's up?" Duo tackled Hilde as she walked out of school. "Is everything ok today?"<p>

"Yeah." Hilde hooked her fingers into Duo's braid to pull him in close. "My sister's going into therapy and she seems to be making progress."

"That's good." Duo grinned at her. "What about you? How are _you_ today?"

"Better. Not great, but better." Hilde pulled him down and kissed him briefly. "You seem extra happy today."

"I get to see you, why wouldn't I be happy?" Duo pinned her gently against the side of the building. "Because you're mine all mine!" He attempted an evil laugh, which just made Hilde laugh.

"You sound like Count Chocula." Hilde was unable to restrain her giggles. "You couldn't be scary if you tried, Duo Maxwell."

"Oh yeah?" Duo smirked as Hilde laughed again. "Oh yeah? You think so?"

Hilde nodded, trying not to laugh.

"I'll teach you." Duo kissed her, and just when Hilde let down her guard, he poked her in the ribs, making her squeak into his mouth. He pulled away, smirking.

"I love you, my crazy man." Hilde giggled, and hugged him around the neck.

"Yeah, I love you too, Hilde." Duo smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist.

They were both so glad that their love had been realized.

* * *

><p>"Trowa!" Catherine tackled her boyfriend as he came up the front steps. "I'm so happy you're here!"<p>

"This is a tutoring session, aren't we supposed to be serious?" Trowa asked as he set the math books out on the porch.

"My dad isn't here, so..." Catherine stuck out her tongue. "And no that doesn't mean I'm having sex with you."

"I didn't ask you to." Trowa hugged her against his side. "We're simply here to do your math, and make sure you don't fail math class. And I told you; you don't have to do anything you don't want to in this relationship. Everything is your choice."

"You're the nicest guy ever." Catherine scooted closer to him, practically crawling into his lap. "You're so sweet, and I'm so happy I have you. I couldn't of gotten a better guy if I had molded him myself."

"I appreciate the kindness," Trowa began, smiling. "But I don't think you want to fail math class, do you?"

Catherine blew a razzberry at him, crawled the rest of the way into his lap, and leaned over her math worksheet.

* * *

><p>Treize eyed his girlfriend as they finished their paperwork at their desks. Today, Une was in peaceful mode, her hair down, wearing a floral dress and pink earrings.<p>

"Treize?" Une looked up at him from whatever she had been doing at the moment. "Treize, do you love me?"

"Of course." Treize stood and walked over to her desk, leaning over it to kiss her cheek. "You're perfect."

"Sometimes..." Une sighed and toyed with her hair for a moment. "Sometimes I feel crazy. Like I'm really insane. Maybe I belong in a mental hospital..."

"You're not insane, at least not to that degree." Treize smiled at her. "And if you are, you're my crazy girl. Crazy Une, all mine." He leaned down and kissed her lovingly.

All was as it should be.

* * *

><p>AN: It's done! I practically killed myself writing this chapter, I started at midnight and it's nearly three. Anyway, tell me what you thought of the story in general, I'd love to hear from my readers! Thank you so much for making it to the end!


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